Written answers
Thursday, 13 October 2011

Carer’s AllowanceTo ask the Secretary for Work and Pensions what (a) transitional arrangements and (b) additional services will be put in place for couples with children including one partner who claims (i)...

Departmental ProcurementTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what procedures his Department uses when engaging external consultants.

Enterprise Allowance SchemeTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice from independent business consultants is available as part of his Department's enterprise allowance scheme.

Enterprise Allowance SchemeTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consultation his Department undertook with the Institute of Business Consultants in developing the enterprise allowance scheme.

Enterprise Allowance Scheme: WalesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has had discussions on the development of the enterprise allowance scheme with (a) the Welsh Government and (b) professional bodies...

Pension CreditTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time was between a person making their (a) first and (b) second claim for pension credit and receiving a decision in the...

Social Fund: ScotlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much and what proportion of the social fund is spent in Scotland.

Social Security BenefitsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the incidence of benefit claiming is in each of the smallest geographical units for which data is available.

Social Security Benefits: Post OfficesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of benefits paid by his Department directly into (a) Post Office card accounts and (b) bank accounts in...

Widowed Parents AllowanceTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) whether he plans to amend eligibility criteria for widowed parent's allowance to include people who lived with and had a child with the...

Widowed Parents AllowanceTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for widowed parent's allowance were rejected on the basis that the applicant lived with a deceased partner but was not...

Clean Energy Ministerial 2012To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what priorities he has set for the G20 Clean Energy Ministerial 2012.

Departmental ConsultantsTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what procedures his Department uses when engaging external consultants.

Departmental FinesTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff and at what cost in each year since its inception.

Departmental Public ExpenditureTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on new furnishings in the last year.

Electricity: PricesTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has assessed the Exeltium consortium in France as a model for the supply of low-carbon electricity to...

Energy Companies: SecondmentTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff have been seconded from energy companies to his Department to assist with preparing its electricity market reform...

Energy Supply: PricesTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what consideration he has given to allowing energy-intensive industries to claim back the carbon price support rates paid on...

Energy Supply: PricesTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what recent discussions he has had with (a) Scottish Power, (b) EDF Energy, (c) E.ON UK, (d) Scottish and Southern Energy, (e)...

Energy: HousingTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what his policy is on the use of bioliquid as a household fuel; (2) what his policy is on including conversions to the use of...

Green Deal SchemeTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answers of 7 July 2011, Official Report, column 1371W and of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 197W, on energy:...

Natural GasTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the maximum depth of drilling operations for shale gas is in the UK; and at what depths he expects hydraulic fracturing to take place.

Offshore Industry: SafetyTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the report by the European Parliament on facing the challenges of the safety of offshore oil and gas...

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs(1 annotation) To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to increase the feed-in tariff for micro generators.

SellafieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reason the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is planning to cease immobilising Dounreay Fast Reactor nuclear material on site...

SellafieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) for what reason the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is proposing further reprocessing of nuclear material, including breeder...

SellafieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will end all reprocessing activity at Sellafield and decommission the reprocessing facilities...

Solar PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many companies with less than five people employed in their manual workforce and a turnover of under £0.5 million are...

Third SectorTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much direct funding his Department provided to each civil society organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how much...

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average amount of public subsidy was per onshore wind turbine per day in each of the last five years for which figures are...

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much each onshore wind farm company received in subsidy from the public purse in each of the last 12 months.

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average efficiency of on-shore wind turbines was in each of the last 12 months.

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much energy was produced by on-shore wind generation in each of the last 12 months; and what proportion of the UK's total energy...

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average amount of energy used per month by a 126.5m wind turbine; and how much was spent from the...

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many onshore wind turbines produced energy for the national grid in August 2011.

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations his Department has received from companies involved in the production of onshore wind energy since 1 July 2011;...

Wind PowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many secondees from companies involved in wind energy production in the UK are working in his Department; what their roles are; and...

Wind Power: ScotlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the annual load factor of onshore wind in Scotland was (a) in each of the last 10 years and (b) as an average over the last 10 years.

Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing ReformTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) consumer organisations, (b) airlines and (c) representatives of travel agents in relation to proposed changes to...

AviationTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the one bag rule applied by certain airlines; and if he will make a statement.

Departmental CyclingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings his Department has had with the Department of Health on promoting the cycle to work scheme.

Driving TestsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the introduction of (a) motorcycle and (b) other hazard-based training in car driving tests.

Package HolidaysTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many package holidays were booked in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and how many and what proportion of such holidays were sold by (i)...

Rail Value for Money ReviewTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department expects to respond to the recommendations of the McNulty report.

Railways: Rolling StockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with Arriva Trains the provision of new rolling-stock and additional carriages on Gloucester to Maesteg passenger rail services.

Rescue ServicesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with EU officials on the UK Coastguards; and what his policy is on the EU adopting a greater role in the control of...

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling StockTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he made of the ability to deliver the technical requirements of the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project when awarding preferred bidder status.

ICT: TheftTo ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many (a) computers and (b) mobile telephones have been reported stolen from the...

Abdel Fattah YounisTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of investigations into the death of General Abdel Fattah Younis in Libya.

Al-QaedaTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the strength of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in (a) Morocco, (b) Algeria, (c) Tunisia,...

Belarus: Human RightsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to raise human rights issues with the authorities in Belarus.

China: Animal WelfareTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Chinese Government on standards of animal welfare in fur farms in that country.

China: Intellectual PropertyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the protection of intellectual property in China.

Columbia: Armed ConflictTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department plans to provide to women's organisations and human rights activists in relation to the armed...

Columbia: Armed ConflictTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the government of Colombia on crimes of sexual violence against women and...

Columbia: Politics and GovernmentTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Colombia on the progress made in investigating (a) the death of Antonio...

Libya: FemalesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with members of the National Transitional Council of Libya on the inclusion of women in...

Libya: FemalesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how his Department plans to support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in Libya.

South China Sea: Politics and GovernmentTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of potential threats to regional political stability arising from different...

Syria: Diplomatic ServiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions he has had discussions with the Syrian ambassador on the activities of his diplomatic staff in relation to...

Syria: SanctionsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sanctions on Syria.

Yemen: Foreign RelationsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the next Friends of Yemen meeting will be held.

Yemen: UN ResolutionsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on a possible UN resolution on the situation in Yemen.

Andy CoulsonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he provided to the Prime Minister on the appointment of Mr Andy Coulson as Director of Communications at 10 Downing street; and if he will make...

Andy CoulsonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many conversations he has had with Mr Andy Coulson since 20 January 2011.

Departmental ResponsibilitiesTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider keeping data on the number of times (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have declined a request for a meeting from an hon. Member...

DorneywoodTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a list of visitors he has hosted at Dorneywood who have received Government hospitality.

Equitable Life Assurance SocietyTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he is taking to make it easier for eligible policy holders to contact the Equitable Life Payment Scheme; (2) how long it takes on average...

HouseholdsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households are in each council tax band in each (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Job Creation: Private SectorTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the increase in private sector jobs was represented by the contracting out of former public sector jobs in each of the last three quarters.

Members: CorrespondenceTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 8 September 2011 from the hon. Member for Walsall North, reference 1/94542/2011.

Neil WallisTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether (a) he, (b) his private office staff, (c) his special advisers and (d) press officers in his Department had contact by (i) telephone and (ii)...

News InternationalTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met (a) James Murdoch, (b) Rebekah Brooks and (c) Andy Coulson.

Working Tax CreditTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) transitional arrangements and (b) additional services will be put in place for couples with children who work between 16 and 24 hours a week and...

Vocational GuidanceTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what procedures are in place to monitor local authorities' levels of compliance with their statutory duty to provide careers guidance; what recent...

Departmental ManpowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department work in roles relating to policy on (a) regeneration and (b) local democracy.

Enterprise ZonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created by enterprise zones in the next period for which figures...

Freedom of InformationTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1124W, on freedom of information, if he will place in the...

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Government Procurement Cards were compromised or cloned in each year (a) since the creation of his Department and (b)...

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Dover of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 57W, on the Government Procurement...

Green BeltTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that the green belt is protected from development; and if he will make a statement.

Planning PermissionTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated research into the cost of complying with planning regulations in...

Planning Permission: AppealsTo ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what status an emergent local plan has in the determination of planning appeals; and if he will make a statement.

Electoral RegistrationTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the introduction of individual electoral registration on the number of people registered to vote; (2)...

Afghanistan: ReconstructionTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2011, Official Report, column 768W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, how much his Department spent...

Burma: Internally Displaced PeopleTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has had access to internally displaced people at the Kachin-China border; and whether his Department has...

Burma: Overseas AidTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will provide funding to the Kachin Women's Association Thailand for emergency relief in Kachin State, Burma.

Burma: Politics and GovernmentTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Kachin State, Burma since 9 June 2011.

Departmental Chief Scientific AdvisersTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the resource budget allocation was for the office of his Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five years for...

Departmental Chief Scientific AdvisersTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the salary, including benefits, was of his Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five years for which figures...

Departmental Chief Scientific AdvisersTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in the office of his Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five...

Departmental Chief Scientific AdvisersTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on requiring his Department's (a) agencies and non-departmental public bodies and (b) contractors to have a written...

Fossil FuelsTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on provision of support from his Department's private sector department for companies involved in dirty fossil fuel...

Departmental FinesTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff and at what cost in each year since 2007.

Departmental ProcurementTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that companies providing services to the Government are not adversely affected by price fluctuation...

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines from 2006-07...

Public Sector: Mutual SocietiesTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many letters on public service mutuals he has received in each month since 1 June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Public Sector: Mutual SocietiesTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what meetings he has had in his Department with (a) voluntary sector organisations and (b) those interested in public service mutuals policy in each...

Third SectorTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what work his Department commissioned from civil society organisations in each month since June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Voluntary OrganisationsTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what visits to voluntary sector organisations (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) senior officials in his Department have made in each month since 1 June...

Voluntary Organisations: FinanceTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many letters on funding of the voluntary sector he has received in each month since 1 June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Voluntary WorkTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to encourage people to become community organisers and activists.

Armed ForcesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) service, (b) location and (c) strength is of each military band.

Armed Forces: HelicoptersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the effects of the marinisation of Merlin helicopters on RAF Benson; and if he will make a statement; (2) what...

Armed Forces: Northern IrelandTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of providing military security in Northern Ireland was in (a) 1997 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available (i) in cash...

Armed Forces: Young PeopleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to encourage young people to join (a) the Army Cadet Force and (b) the Combined Cadet Force.

Arms Trade: ExportsTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost of (a) Ministers and (b) Royal Air Force personnel promoting defence exports has been in the last 12 months.

Libya: Armed ConflictTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of military operations in Libya since the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

Planning Permission: SevenoaksTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assurances he sought regarding future planning use prior to the disposal of Chelsfield Ammunition Depot at Badgers Mount, Sevenoaks.

Reserve Forces: TeachersTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of reservists are members of the teaching profession.

Alcoholic Drinks: PricesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the (a) number of units and (b) monetary value of alcohol sold at a price below duty plus VAT in the last year.

AsylumTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance her Department provides to Sri Lankan nationals who have not been successful in a UK asylum application and have been...

AsylumTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications from Sri Lankan nationals have been (a) granted and (b) refused in each of the last 10 years.

AsylumTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding asylum cases under the legacy programme there were as of 1 September 2011.

AsylumTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress has been made on the implementation of the new asylum processing system.

AsylumTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how funding criteria are being developed for new applications for the Prevent strategy.

Asylum: English LanguageTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful applicants for asylum had the ability to speak English to A1 standard in (a) 2009 and (b) 2010.

Asylum: English LanguageTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what English language training her Department provides to successful applicants for asylum; what the budget for such training was in (a)...

DeportationTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London on the deportation from the UK of Sri Lankan nationals.

DeportationTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankan nationals have been deported from the UK to Sri Lanka in each of the last 10 years.

Deportation: OffendersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 September 2011, Official Report, columns 1131-2W, on deportation: offenders, for how many foreign national...

DNA: DatabasesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on the retention of DNA of those arrested but not charged with a qualifying offence as defined in the Crime and Security...

Domestic ViolenceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for protection under the domestic violence rule of the Immigration Rules have been (a) made, (b) accepted and (c)...

Entry ClearancesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Ghanaian nationals were refused entry to the UK in each of the last five years.

Entry ClearancesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications from Ghanaian nationals have been (a) granted and (b) refused in each of the last 10 years.

Entry Clearances: Overseas StudentsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas were granted to Ghanaian nationals in each of the last 10 years.

Entry Clearances: Overseas StudentsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas have been granted to foreign nationals (a) under the age of 20 and (b) over the age of 30 in each of the last 10 years.

Entry Clearances: Overseas StudentsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals in respect of refused student visa applications have (a) been upheld and (b) not been upheld in the last 12 months.

Entry Clearances: Overseas StudentsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas were (a) applied for and (b) granted in each of the last five years.

Foreign Workers: NursesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of recent changes to immigration rules to the supply of nurses through the Overseas Nurses Programme.

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by...

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by her Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines...

Hillsborough: StadiumTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Prime Minister since her appointment over the unredacted release of the Hillsborough Cabinet minutes.

Illegal ImmigrantsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding she plans to allocate to tackling illegal immigration at UK borders up to 2015.

Passport Office: NewarkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of the Newark Passport Office on passport application processing times.

Restraint TechniquesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the safety of (a) nose control and (b) other restraint techniques used by private security companies...

Third SectorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters she has received on funding for civil society organisations within her Department's area of responsibility in each month...

UK Border AgencyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the policy of the UK Border Agency is on responding to constituency cases raised by regional list members of the (a) Scottish...

UK Border Agency: Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by...

UK Border Agency: Illegal ImmigrantsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often UK Border Agency officials monitor illegal working in each UK fishing port; and what action was taken as a result of such monitoring.

Departmental Legal OpinionTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the average hourly rate paid was to external (a) solicitors and (b) barristers engaged by his Department in 2010-11; what guidance his Department...

Anti-Slavery Day 2011To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has to mark Anti-Slavery Day 2011.

Association of British InsurersTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether officials in his Department have invited the Association of British Insurers to assist in the drafting of policy or legislation since May...

Article 2 InvestigationsTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the (a) age of the individual concerned, (b) circumstances and (c) establishment in which the incident took place were for each non-fatal...

Civil DisorderTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many children imprisoned on remand as a result of the public disorder in August 2011 have been subsequently released on bail; (2) how many...

Claims Management Regulation UnitTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints the Claims Management Regulation Unit has received relating to (a) Going Legal Ltd and (b) Legal Link Introductory Services Ltd; and...

Community OrdersTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the completion rate was for people sentenced to unpaid work in each year since 2006.

Criminal Injuries Compensation SchemeTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much was spent on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10; (2) what the budget is for the...

Departmental BillingTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

Departmental ConsultantsTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures his Department uses when engaging external consultants.

Driving OffencesTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) whether any drivers with over 12 penalty points on their licences have been allowed to continue driving through an exceptional hardship argument;...

Fines: SurchargesTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the victims' surcharge raised in income in 2010-11; how much he expects it to generate in income in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14;...

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines from 2006-07 to...

Immigration: JudgesTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of immigration judges who were previously legal practitioners dealing with immigration cases.

Legal Aid SchemeTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of employment law legal aid cases he expects to run on a damages-based agreement or contingency fee arrangement basis after the...

Legal Services CommissionTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the running costs of the Defence Solicitor Call Centre in the Legal Services Commission were in the latest year in which records are available.

Litter: Convictions(1 annotation) To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many convictions there have been for the offence of depositing litter in each year since 2007; (2) how many convictions there have been for...

MaintenanceTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the maintenance backlog was in his Department's estate in each of the last five years.

National Offender Management Service: ManpowerTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff of (a) the National Offender Management Service and (b) his Department were seconded to the prison and probation ombudsman in (i) 2005,...

Office of Public GuardianTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of relocating the Office of Public Guardian from London to Manchester.

Operation SafeguardTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many (a) cells in police stations and (b) cells in courts are available for use under Operation Safeguard; (2) what the cost per cell per...

Prison AccommodationTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the occupancy rate was for each prison and young offenders establishment on (a) 1 January 2010, (b) 1 March 2010, (c) 1 June 2010, (d) 1 September...

Prison AccommodationTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much prison capacity in each prison has been (a) brought into use and (b) taken out of use in each of the last 12 months.

Prisoners: Work ExperienceTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice which private sector companies are involved in providing work opportunities for prisoners in each prison.

Prisoners: Working HoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the resources required to support the policy of prisoners working a 40 hour week.

Prisons: Private SectorTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether prisons operated by the private sector are covered by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Protection from Harassment Act 1997To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people proceeded against under Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 where a crime was recorded were (a) subsequently not...

Repossession OrdersTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many repossessions there have been in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) England since 2008.

StalkingTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he plans to introduce treatment for stalkers in (a) prisons and (b) as part of a community sentence.

Translation Services(1 annotation) To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what changes he proposes to the National Agreement on arrangements for the use of interpreters, translators and language service professionals in...

Victims' Advisory PanelTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much he expects to save through the abolition of the Victims' Advisory Panel.

Youth Justice BoardTo ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish a revised impact assessment in relation to the proposed abolition of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales including the...

BBCTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) whether he expects future funding settlements for Welsh language television services to be a matter for agreement...

BroadbandTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the European Commission on state aid issues in relation to the provision of an urban...

BroadbandTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has for the roll-out of an urban fibre-to-the-home superfast broadband network.

Business: FinanceTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions his Department has had with executives from the National Lottery Fund on measures to assist small and...

Departmental BillingTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in July and August 2010.

Departmental ConsultantsTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what procedures his Department uses when engaging external consultants.

Departmental Official HospitalityTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 12...

Departmental ProcurementTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made in eliminating pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements with a value of under...

Departmental Public ExpenditureTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on new furnishings in the last year.

FootballTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he plans to respond to the Report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Football Governance, HC 792.

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated...

Hillsborough StadiumTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Prime Minister since his appointment on the unredacted release of the Hillsborough...

Mobile PhonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which body will determine how the mobile coverage improvement fund will be disbursed.

Mobile Phones: ScotlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that 99 per cent. of the land mass of Scotland has adequate mobile voice coverage.

OfcomTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between Ofcom and Equiniti for the administration of the Programme...

OfcomTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on physical infrastructure access pricing.

Olympic Games 2012To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what (a) total monetary value and (b) number of London 2012 Olympics (i) Tier 1 and (ii) Tier 2 contracts have been awarded to...

Olympic Games 2012To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of the Inspire programme.

Olympic Games 2012To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport who is responsible for approving sponsorship arrangements for the stadium wrap for the London 2012 Olympics.

Olympic Games 2012: KentTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the London 2012 Olympics on Kent.

Planning PermissionTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (1) how many officials in his Department worked on the draft national planning policy framework produced by the...

Radio: Motor VehiclesTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of new cars which are equipped with DAB radio.

TourismTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of (a) EU citizens visiting the UK and (b) UK residents visiting other EU countries in...

Cancer: Health ServicesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Government plans to ensure that local authorities prioritise the awareness and early diagnosis of cancer when developing joint strategic needs...

Colorectal Cancer: ScreeningTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information his Department holds on the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on screening intervals for...

Disease ControlTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to reduce non-communicable diseases following the UN High-level meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases on 19 and 20 September 2011.

Drugs: MisuseTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the tendering process was for the recently published National Addiction Centre and National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse reports on...

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which non-departmental bodies, agencies or arm's length bodies for which the Department of Health has responsibility or oversight made use of the...

Health and Social Care BillTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials are working on the passage through Parliament of the Health and Social Care Bill; and what the cost was of employing those officials in...

Health Services: North WestTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had on the future of the building that formerly housed the Cheshire and Merseyside Treatment Centre.

Health Services: Reciprocal ArrangementsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the monetary value was of payments made to other European economic area countries for health care provided to British citizens under the European...

Maternity ServicesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to improve the outcomes of NHS maternity care.

Maternity ServicesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) midwife-led and (b) consultant-led maternity units there are in each region.

Mental Health Services: FinanceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total NHS expenditure on mental health was in (a) London, (b) the South East and (c) Kent in each of the last 15 years.

Mental Health Services: IslingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was allocated for mental health services in the London borough of Islington in each of the last five years; and how much funding has been...

Midwives: TrainingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places for student midwives there were in each region in academic year 2010-11.

Midwives: TrainingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student midwives were in receipt of a bursary in academic year 2010-11; what the average bursary paid to a student midwife was in that year; and...

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health ServicesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the (a) variation and (b) quality of provision of musculoskeletal services in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

NHS Foundation TrustsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS hospital trusts abide by his Department's guidance on the use of confidentiality clauses in compromise agreements.

NHS: ReorganisationTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials are working on the reorganisation of the NHS; and what the cost was of employing those officials in the latest period for which figures...

NHS: ReorganisationTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what responsibilities in respect of proposed (a) hospital closures and (b) health service reconfigurations (i) he has under present arrangements and (ii)...

Social Work: QualificationsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for future levels of qualifications required for students studying social work; and if he will make a statement.

Streptococcus: ScreeningTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on testing women for group B streptococcal infection during pregnancy; and if he will make a statement.

Surgery: FemalesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many labiaplasty operations were performed by the NHS in each year since 2006; and at what cost.

Surgery: FemalesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age of patients undergoing NHS labiaplasty operations was in the last year.

Warrington Primary Care Trust: DebtsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any of Warrington primary care trust's debts will be passed on to the GP consortium set up to cover the same area.

Departmental Chief Scientific AdvisersTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the salary, including benefits, was of his Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last five years for which...

Departmental Chief Scientific AdvisersTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in the office of his Department's chief scientific adviser in each of the last...

Departmental ProcurementTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what provisions in respect of behavioural standards have been included in procurement contracts issued by his Department since...

European Investment BankTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the interest rates charged to businesses under European Investment Bank funding in...

European Investment BankTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what guidance he provides to banks on information to be provided to their clients on European Investment Bank funding.

European Investment BankTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small companies have received European Investment Bank funding in the last year.

European Investment BankTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the performance of UK banks in delivering European...

Government Procurement CardTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller...

Local Enterprise PartnershipsTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what role he envisages for professional business advisers in the establishment of new businesses within (a) enterprise zones and...

National Planning Policy FrameworkTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) how many officials in his Department worked on the draft of the national planning policy framework produced by the...

Post OfficesTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd on the re-opening of sub-post offices; and if he will make a statement.

Regeneration: LiverpoolTo ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact of Liverpool Vision funding on small and medium-sized businesses in (a)...

Regeneration: LiverpoolTo ask the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the ability of small and medium-sized businesses in Liverpool, Walton constituency to...

Regional Growth FundTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to announce his decision on bids made by organisations in the Bristol area for funding from the Regional Growth Fund.

Science: Government DepartmentsTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to include (a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) advisory bodies, (c) executive agencies, (d) public...

South East England Development AgencyTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the largest redundancy payment which will be made to an employee of the South East England...

Students: LoansTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on progression to higher education for students aged 24 years and over who are required...

Teachers: English LanguageTo ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the average cost of (a) training and (b) employing a teacher for English for Speakers of...

BadgersTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely trends in the prevalence of infection in badgers inside the specified culling...

Primates: ExperimentsTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to recommendation nine of the Review of research using non-human primates chaired by Professor Sir Patrick...

Armed Forces: MedalsTo ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 14 September (WA 58), whether the assessments made at the time are in the public domain; and, if so, where.

Banking: AIB Group (UK) plcTo ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 3 October (WA 154-5), why the list of approved persons in AIB Group (UK) plc was not published in the Official...

Banks: First Trust BankTo ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 11 August (WA 387) concerning the supervision of banks, whether the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has now...

Businesses: Pre-pack AdministrationTo ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any estimates of the number of small and medium-sized enterprises that have failed, or suffered significant business damage, as a result of...

Energy: Wind GenerationTo ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are initiating studies of how the future availability of wind and solar energy in different regions of the United Kingdom is likely to be affected by...

EU: TaxationTo ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that United Kingdom businesses are not subject to the proposed European Union financial transactions tax.

EU: Taxation(1 annotation) To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they could agree to an European Union financial transaction tax without parliamentary approval and a referendum.

HallmarkingTo ask Her Majesty's Government what are their conclusions regarding the future of the hallmarking of items made from precious metals following the consultation launched earlier this year.

Higher Education: SciencesTo ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the additional undergraduate places made available in 2011 were made available for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics courses.

ManufacturingTo ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to counteract the continued long-term decline of United Kingdom manufacturing industry.

Ministry of Defence: PoliceTo ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction in the number of Ministry of Defence police officers on local policing in communities where they operate.

Northern Ireland Office: StaffTo ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 3 October (WA 131), whether the flexible early retirement terms being provided for Hilary Jackson, the...

Northern Ireland: Human Rights CommissionTo ask Her Majesty's Government what was the salary of the previous Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; what is the proposed salary of the new chief commissioner;...

Police: TrainingTo ask Her Majesty's Government what is the purpose of the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-Based Violence Risk Identification checklist as used by United Kingdom police services.

Police: TrainingTo ask Her Majesty's Government whether all police services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are signed up to using the Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-Based Violence Risk...

PovertyTo ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of additional people who fell below the poverty line worldwide in 2010-11 in comparison to the previous year; to what extent...

Questions for Written AnswerTo ask the Leader of the House what has been the reason for the failure of the Department for Transport to answer Lord Bradshaw's two Questions for Written Answer tabled on 13 July, due for...

Schools: NursesTo ask Her Majesty's Government who will be responsible for school nurses currently employed by primary care trusts if the trusts cease to exist following the passage of the Health and Social...

UK Statistics AuthorityTo ask Her Majesty's Government where advertisements have been placed for Sir Michael Scholar's replacement as chair of the Statistics Authority; and what salary is offered.

What are Written Answers?

The parliamentary question is a great way for MPs and Peers to discover information which the government may not wish to reveal. Ministers reply via written answers, a list of which gets published daily.